


Happily Ever After

by Gameguy1992



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Afterlife, Angst, Depression, F/M, Implied Relationships, Marriage Proposal, Moving On, Survivor Guilt, What Could Have Been, ghost - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:01:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28432845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gameguy1992/pseuds/Gameguy1992
Summary: Judy Hopps finds an old friend sitting on a train platform she cant remember how she got to and they discuss what is, what could be, and what could have been
Relationships: Judy Hopps/Jack Savage, Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde, implied wildehopps - Relationship
Comments: 12
Kudos: 42





	Happily Ever After

**Author's Note:**

> Some stuff is going on in my personal life that inspired this story.

She was on a train platform. In front of her a golden and white trian sat on the tracks, seeming to almost glowing with cleanliness as clouds of steam billowed from it's sides. Around her wolves, deer, otters and dozens of other mammals were hugging and kissing; greeting each other again after so much time apart. Yet to her the platform was oddly silent. Shifting she looked around. She was sitting on a bench. A few feet away a mammal was busy reading a newspaper, looking like someone or something out of an old movie with the newspaper completely obscuring him. How had she gotten here? The last thing she could remember was-

"The train will begin boarding in 10 minutes. Please ensure you are ready to leave."

She frowned. Leave? Where was she going? How had she gotten here? Her thoughts were muddled, making her feel slow and stupid. As if she were just waking up or had been dosed with something. She scanned the crowd, hoping to perhaps find a familiar face of someone she knew or at least recognized. she could ask them for help, for an explanation. For-

"Yeah, I thought the same thing when I got here."

Her ears twitched at the sound of the voice, her spine stiffening and her heart stopping for a moment. Slowly she turned, her breathing shallow and her eyes wide. It… it couldn't be… it couldn't him. She felt as though her heart had stopped. She felt lightheaded, every part of her body was frozen as she stared at the mammal next to her. She watched, her mind frozen in disbelief as the figure shifted; neatly folding his newspaper before turning to look at her.

"Hey carrots, long time no see."

It was him, looking at the exact same as he always did in her mind. Green shirt, tan slacks, red and cream colored fur and a smiling grin stretching from ear to ear; Nick Wilde.

For a full ten seconds she sat there in complete shock. It had been years since she'd seen him. Well five years to be accurate but now… now he was sitting here next to her, smiling at her as if he'd just seen her yesterday. In an instant she lunged at him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she pulled him into a bone breaking hug. "Nick! Nick YOU'RE HERE!" she clung to him as if she were drowning, as if he was the only thing keeping her afloat. Tears welled up in her eyes as his scent washed over her, exactly the same as she remembered it. He was laughing at her, the sound sending shivers down her spine. How had it been so long since she'd heard his laugh? She was laughing with him, tears still streaming down her face even as she laughed. 

Against her Nick hugged her back, his strong warm arms encircling her and holding her close. She pressed her face against his shirt, inhaling his warm slightly musky scent until it filled her lungs. As she exhaled she looked up at him, their gaze meeting as she found him looking down at her. "Damn carrots, that was quite the performance." She blinked at him, her mind still struggling to understand. He was here. He'd been gone for such a long time and yet… now he was here. Her paw should as she moved, her paw touching the side of his face and muzzle hesitantly. As if at any moment he might dissolve into smoke and vanish. He chuckled softly at her touch, leaning tenderly into it. "It's really me carrots. I promise."

"N-n-Nick..." Her voice shook as she spoke. 

He smiled at her, his paw coming up to cup the back of hers which was still pressed against the side of his face. "I know. Believe me, I do. But right now, we have more important things to talk about."

She blinked at him, his words confusing her. More important things? He'd been gone for five years and now suddenly he was here again. The only important thing she needed to do was take him home, back to their apartment and tell everyone that he was back, that he was ok and not de-

It felt like everything came to a screeching halt then. Her eyes widened as some part of her realized the impossibility of what was happening. In front of her Nick nodded sadly. "It's true Judy. I'm sor-"

"No!" Her voice was so loud it echoed around them. Tears streamed down her face as she desperately shook her head. "No Nick! You're not dead! You can't be dead! You just… you can't be dead!"

Yet even as she said the words the memory came flooding back to her, the worst day of her entire life. She'd been so proud of him, so impossibly proud. He'd graduated the academy, he'd been valedictorian just like her, he was going to be the ZPD's first fox officer. They'd gone out to celebrate, just the two of them. They'd had a few drinks and during that time he'd confessed to her, confessed his feelings; that he was in love with her. Then he'd kissed her, a long drunk slightly sloppy kiss that had been the best kiss of her life. Of course she'd kissed him back. It had felt good, it had felt right, it had felt perfect. And then everything had gone wrong. She hadn't even gotten a chance to respond when they broke apart before the moment had soured. Some badger at the bar had been having an argument with the bartender and at that very second it reached its breaking point. The badger had lunged at the bartender growling and baring its danger in a drunken rage. Their training had kicked in when the others at the bar had started to scream and run, of course they rushed in to help. She could still see the look of murderous rage on the badger's face as Nick had identified himself as an officer of the ZPD and ordered him to step away from the bartender who was on the floor bleeding. The badger had snarled and lunged at them next. She dodged to the left, but Nick… he hadn't been as fast and had been knocked to his feet. 

She closed her eyes, willing the images away, pleading with her own mind not to show her the moment the badger's jaws had closed around Nick's neck or the sound of ripping flesh and fur. She clung desperately to him, willing it all not to be true, willing it to be some nightmare or hallucination. "Judy, it's ok. I-"

"NO!" She screamed at him, her paws shaking with how hard she was gripping his shirt. "NO ITS NOT OK! N-Nick y-you… y-you...y-yo-you..." Her voice broke in her throat, more tears falling down her face as she clung desperately to him. It wasn't fair. He'd turned his life around. He'd quit hustling and decided to become a cop like her. He was going to be her partner and help her keep zootopia safe. He was going to make the world a better place. He'd put so much time and effort into it and then…

In front of her Nick sighed softly, a sad smile covering his face as he nodded. "I'm sorry Judy. Really I am. I… I tried to stay. I tried so hard. But… I couldn't. I'm sorry." She buried her face in his chest, willing it not to be true even though she knew it was. She felt Nick shift, his paws wrapping around her shoulders as he continued to speak. "But that was five years ago. And right now, we need to talk about you, not me."

Her? What was there to talk about? She was alive, she'd survived. He'd died right there in that bar and she'd gone on living. What was there to talk about? "Judy," she felt his paw on her chin, forcing her to look up at him. 

"I miss you Nick. I… I miss you so much."

He nodded at her, that sad smile still covering his face. "I know carrots, truly I do." She pressed her face back to his chest, struggling to stem the flow of tears as she did so. Above her Nick sighed again. "Thank you for inviting my mom to the funeral. I… I really appreciated that. I'm glad she got to see that I'd turned my life around. That I wasn't just some con man… in the end." She clung to his tighter. Pressing her face harder against his chest as those memories tugged at her mind. The funeral, the burial. It was a nightmare to her, one she'd had to live through. "I was there you know."

She sniffed loudly, looking up at him. "Wh-wh-"

He nodded at her, the sadness leaving his smile. "I was there. I stood right besides you actually. It was beautiful Judy, so much better than anything I'd ever thought I'd get. Thank you." Thank you? Thank you?! How could he say thank you to her? How could he thank her for his funeral?! Again he seemed to know what she was thinking because before she could say anything he continued. "But like I said, we're not here to talk about me Judy. We're here to talk about you."

His paw cupped the side of her face, gently wiping away a few stray tears. "Judy… why? Why did you do it?" Her throat went dry. She knew what he was talking about, how could she not? It was the worst thing she'd ever done. She'd been so angry, beyond angry, she'd been furious. So when she'd seen him there in his cell, the badger who had killed her friend she'd- "Judy," his voice was so soft, so real. Like he'd never left. "Why did you do it?"

She looked at him, at his beautiful face, his perfect green eyes, his smooth fur. She knew the answer. It was the answer she'd given her colleagues when they'd asked her the same question, along with internal affairs, chief Bogo and even her parents. "Because… he… he took you away..."

She watched as he sighed, looking at her sadly. "Judy… you nearly kil-"

"GOOD." Across from her, Nick opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. The sadness had left her voice now, a bubbling churning anger welling up inside her as it always did when she thought of 'him'. "He deserved it. He killed you. He killed you and i-"

"You what Judy?" Nick's voice was equally angry, something that surprised her. "You what? You had to kill him back? Is that it? Is that why you beat an unarmed defenseless badger? Why you betrayed everything you trained to become, that I trained to become?" Her voice died in her throat. His words hurt. She thought he of all people would understand and relate to how she had felt. 

"I..." She tried to speak. To justify herself, to explain what had been going through her head. She'd done it so many times since that day, and yet now she found the words escaped her.

Nick sighed softly. "I know Judy. I know things have been hard. I know."

She nodded weakly, sniffing softly as she did so. "Y-yeah." It was true. Everything had become so much harder since then. Even getting out of bed was a massive struggle, one she sometimes lost and then felt guilty about.

"But I also know you found some joy. Even if you didn't mean to." She looked at him. He'd said he had been watching her. So she shouldn't have been surprised that he knew. For what felt like the hundredth time her stomach twisted.

"Nick… I can explain. I'm sorry. I didn't mean… it just… it happened and I didn't-"

Next to her Nick frowned, a soft chuckle escaping his muzzle as he looked at her. "Judy what are you talking about?" She fell silent, watching as he smiled at her. "Judy, did you think I'd be mad that you met Jack?"

"I… m-maybe…" Her voice was soft and scared as she spoke weakly. 

Again Nick sighed, shaking his head. "I'm not Judy. In fact I'm happy for you."

She looked at him for a moment, noting the truly genuine smile he was giving her. In another time she would have given anything to get that kind of look from him, but now it only filled her with confusion. "B-but… what about… us?"

Next to her Nick looked at her sadly, his smile fading slightly. "There is no us. Not anymore. Judy… I'm dead. Nothing can change that. And believe me, I tried… A LOT." She watched as he looked around the train station they were in, a sad yet kind look on his face. "When I first got here… fuck I raised hell. I yelled, I screamed, I trashed everything and anything I could get my paws on. I spent days demanding to speak with god, or christ or whoever runs this place. Hell I even tried to kill myself here." She looked at him in shock, to which he only chuckled and pointed to the tracks the train sat on before them. "I laid down right there and waited for the train to squish me like a pancake. Probably looked like something out of one of those old black and white western movies we used to watch. Thing is Judy… there's no going back. Not if you're truly dead. There's no secret word or phrase. No hitting the escape key. No conning your way back to earth. No learning some big life lesson. No magic spell. Nothing." He looked back to her. "Judy, the moment I died anything we might have been ended, at least for me." She watched as his ears drooped. "Judy I loved you. I still do. But… it's changed. There was a time when I wanted to marry you. To have a house with the white picket fence and a mailbox. Maybe have some kits if the cards were right. Grow old together. I wanted all of that. But now… now I want you to have those things, even if they're not with me. Although-" his voice became slightly husky as he leaned in to whisper into her ear. "If you wanted to try and make some kits right now I wouldn't say no."

Somehow his joke made her laugh, despite everything she was feeling. He'd always been able to do that, make her laugh. Even in the most tense or inappropriate times. It felt good to laugh, it was something she hadn't done a lot of over the last few years, even when Jack had done his best to make her laugh or be funny. She'd laugh then but… it always felt a little forced, a little hypocritical. As if it was somehow wrong for her to be laughing.

"The train will be boarding in five minutes. Please ensure you are ready to leave."

The announcement cut through her laughter, making her fall silent as a bit of fear welled up inside her. "Nick… am… am I dead?"

She watched as Nick looked her up and down, her heart feeling as if it was in her throat. After a few seconds he shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know carrots. You're definitely close to it, you can't be here otherwise. But you're not as..." Nick paused as he searched for the right words for a moment. "It happens sometimes. A person gets really close to dying and then suddenly they snap back to life. Always been a little curious about that, hope I get an answer someday about it. I used to hope I'd do it but… that ship sailed a long time ago."

She shifted, unsure of what to say as she looked at the train in front of them. "So… the train..."

Nick sighed and nodded. "yeah carrots. It's for me, not you."

She looked at him, finding that he was looking at her too. "I've been sitting here on this platform watching you for the last five years Judy. I was there at the funeral. I watched as you attacked that badger. I was there for that entire week you didn't eat anything. And… I was there… that night…"

She felt her heart clench, a feeling of dread welling up inside her unlike anything she'd felt before. No, not then, please don't let him him have seen that. "no… please..."

Next to her he nodded sadly. "Yes Judy. I was there the night you jumped."

Those words hit her like a sledgehammer. They left her cold and shaking, tears welling up in her eyes as the unwelcome memory of that night came flooding back. The coldness of the night air. the feelings of despair, self hatred, anger and isolation. So many times on the job she'd walked along that bridge, but that time… that time she'd seen it different. That time, it had been a way out, a way to end her suffering.

"You know, everyone gets one." 

She blinked, the memory fading as she looked at him curiously. "One… what?" 

Nick shrugged. "One second. Just one second to affect the living world for the last time. That night… I used mine."

She cocked her head at him. "What do you mean?"

Again he shrugged. "Jack told you it was a gust of wind that knocked his hat into the river. It wasn't, It was me. I saw you jump and I knew one second wasn't enough to save you. So I did the next best thing. I found the nearest good looking rabbit who also happened to know how to swim and give CPR and I smacked his hat into the river so he'd turn and see you hit the water." He looked at her, the sad smile back on his face. "I'd hoped he'd save you. Maybe help you to understand that life is worth living." The sadness in Nick's smile faded. "Didn't think you two would end up dating but hey, I love a good romance."

She bit her lip, as her insides squirmed uncertainly. Should she tell him? "Nick… jack… he… he's… he's so… I mean he's…"

Nick chuckled. "The word you're looking for is amazing, Judy. He's amazing."

She nodded slowly. It was true. After he'd saved her from the river he'd come to visit her in the hospital, bringing her a small set of flowers at first as well as books and crosswords later, things to do while she recovered from the broken leg and fractured ribs the fall had given her. When she'd been released he'd given her a ride home, even going so far as to walk her to her door. It was there that he'd asked her out. At the time she'd been doped up on some pretty strong meds, at least that's what she'd told herself after she'd said yes. Their first date had been… a bit rough if she was being honest. But it had felt good in a way she couldn't explain. It had felt so good that she'd agreed to another, and another and another until…

"He proposed." 

At that Nick raised an eyebrow, his face splitting into an ear to ear grin. "Did he now? Bunny boi finally got down on one knee? That's great?"

She frowned at him. "Wait… I thought you said you'd been watching me?"

Nick made a face at her. "Yeah but I'm not a pervert. I don't ghost you," he paused for a second, chuckling and shaking his head at his own pun. "While you're on a date or in the bathroom or anything. I was raised to be a gentlemammal." Again his words made her laugh, but also somehow lifted a small weight from her shoulders. "So what did you say?"

She squirmed a bit under his gaze. "I… uh… I told him… I'd… have to… think… about it."

Next to her Nick made a sound akin to a choked gasp. "You what?!"

She looked at him, a bit startled by his outburst. "I just… I needed… time. It… it was really sudden and-"

But he cut her off, shaking his head and paws. "Nope, uh uh, not buying it Judy. You guys have been dating for three years, that's not sudden. If anything that's slow… like… glacier slow. Besides what on earth is there to think about. He's smart, funny, kind, supporting and a rockstar in the sack."

Her eyes narrowed at him. "I thought you said-"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not deaf Judy. It's kinda hard not to hear when you're moaning his name and making such a racket." She felt the tips of her ears tingle at his words, a sense of embarrassment filling her as she tried to come up with a response. Next to her Nick continued. "when you get back the very first things you're going to do is call him." He held up a paw to silence her when she tried to protest. "I MEAN IT Judy. You call him back, you say yes, you beg him to marry you if you have to. But you lock that buck down and make him out that ring on your finger or so lord help me, I will find a way back from the dead and I'LL marry him."

She stared at him in slightly stunned silence. Was he really ok with it? With the idea of her marrying jack? "But..."

Again Nick shook his head. "No buts Judy. In five years no one has managed to make you as happy as spending 10 minutes with Jack does."

He wasn't wrong about that. Work was… well… work. She hadn't been fired from the police force, she was too important a figure to be fired, even with what she had done. But she had been relogated to boring foot patrols along the parks district, which was well known to be the easiest assignment a person could get. Her family was fine to be around, but she always felt like they were being super careful around her. As if they were reading from a script they'd all previously agreed wouldn't upset her or make her feel unwelcome even if she was being a bother. Her friends… well she didn't have many of them. She still saw Finnick from time to time while out on patrol. For the first year or so he'd refused to speak to her, not that she blamed him. After that he'd managed short one word greetings before slowly starting to open up as the years went on. Just last year even he'd invited her to a small gathering foxes held every year to honor those they had lost. Through all of this Jack had been there, first as a friend, then as a close friend and then finally as… her boyfriend although now that she thought about it she wasn't sure if she'd ever actually called him that.

Their relationship wasn't exactly typical. Even after three years they weren't living together. They didn't see each other on a truly regular basis. And at times they seemed to almost be, just friends. Part of that was Jack's job, working for the government meant that Jack was constantly on the move, going where they told him to go and doing whatever it was they told him to do; although she was never actually sure what that was. As for the times they just seemed to be friends… that was as much her fault as his job's. She liked him, it was true, she was willing to admit that she probably loved him. But somehow that felt… wrong… like it was… cheating somehow. 

Looking at her paws for a moment Judy spoke softly. "Can… can I have… your blessing?" 

Next to her Nick looked at her curiously. "My blessing?"

She nodded, looking at him. "To marry Jack. I… I need to know… is it… is it really… ok?"

She watched as Nick nodded, his expression one of slight exasperation. "Of course Judy. Of course you can marry jack. Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

He shifted, his paw moving to rest over hers. "Love HIM. Let me go and love him. It's what he deserves."

She looked down at their paws, a feeling of guilt churning inside her. "I… I don't know if… if I can."

Nick chuckled, patting her own softly. "You can. You're Judy Hopps, first rabbit officer of the ZPD, you can do it. I know you can."

As she opened her mouth to respond, the speakers on the platform cut her off. "The train is now boarding. Please be sure you are ready to leave." At the same time the doors to the train hissed open, allowing those who had gathered along the sides to start to take their places inside. Next to her Nick smiled softly at her, leaning in to plant a soft kiss against her cheek before moving to stand. 

As he did he looked at her, still smiling. "You know something Judy, I don't regret anything. You were the best thing that ever happened to me. And knowing that you were proud of me, that you felt the same way I did… that made everything better."

She looked at him, a feeling of sadness growing inside her as she watched him. "I'm… I'm sorry we never got to..."

Her voice faded out as Nick shook his head. "No more of that. You may not have got your happily ever after with me. But you have a mammal who loves you, who would die for you. So go have that happily ever after with him." Nick's expression became serious. "But you tell him. If he breaks your heart, I will haunt his ass FOREVER."

She nodded, her throat tightening painfully. "I love you."

He smiled against her, that warm beautiful grinning smile that had made her fall in love with him in the first place. "I know. But now it's time for you to love Jack like he deserves. Now hurry up and live again. Live so you can marry Jack and have the life you deserve. Do that for me." She nodded, her body moving a second later to rush forward and pull him into one last hug which he returned with a soft chuckle. "You bunnies, so emotional."

Despite everything his words made her laugh, tears welling up in her eyes even as she did so. When she felt him move she let him go, watching as he smiled at her one last time before turning and stepping into the train just as the doors began to hiss shut. She watched as he turned, still smiling at her before giving her a small wave of the paw.

"The train is departing the station now. Please stand back from the tracks."

It happened a second later. As the train began to pull away it let loose a massive blossom of steam and clouds that blinded her and made her swipe and wave her paw trying to clear her vision.

"Judy?" Someone was calling her name. "Judy can you hear me?" The voice was growing louder now, making her turn and squint through the billowing swirling fog that had surrounded her. She felt like she was moving. As if she was on some kind of elevator going downwards. Her stomach lurched and churned and for a moment she felt like she was going to be sick. Then-

"Judy?"

She blinked the voice reaching her, making her open her eyes and look around. She was in a hospital room, laying on a bed under the blanket. Her right shoulder hurt, as if someone had-

"Judy!"

The sound of the male voice made her turn, her body protesting slightly as she found she wasn't alone in the room. Jack was there, wearing a rather dapper looking black suit and red tie and looking like he was about to cry with joy as he looked at her. "Wh-what? Wh-wh-what happ-" even as she spoke the memories were coming back to her. She'd been on patrol in the parkway. She'd heard a scuffle coming from a dead end alley that was used for vending machines and benches for people to sit and eat. She'd found a wolf gun in paw trying to rob a pair of deer who looked like they were about to pass out. She'd tried to stop the wolf, and in the struggle… "I… I was… sh-shot?"

Next to the bed jack nodded, watching her closely. "Yeah, in the side. The doctors said it was bad, but they managed to get it all out and..." She watched as Jack's voice drifted off, his eyes watering even as he reached up to wipe the water from his face. "I… I..." He took a deep shuddering breath. "Judy… I was…" again he paused, running his paw over his ears like he did when he was particularly stressed. "Judy… I'm so glad you're ok. I… love you." 

She groaned softly, his words washing over her. She remembered what Nick had said; to love him, to love Jack as he really deserved. It was true, she did love jack. Even if saying it had made her feel bad, it was true. She loved him. "Jack..." Her voice cracked slightly as spoke, her throat dry. In some ways it still made her feel guilty to even think it, let alone say it; even after what had happened. But… in other ways it felt like a weight had finally been lifted, not just from her shoulders but from her heart as well. "I love you too."

Next to her jack moved, tenderly reaching out to gently slip one of his paws into hers. "Judy..."

She smiled at him. "My answer… is yes. Let's… let's get married."


End file.
